One poor dirt farmer's views

Turkey Eggs for Breakfast

March 10, 2012

Turkeys Signal Spring’s Arrival

Unseasonably warm winter weather around Bippus has the critturs making indications that spring is upon us. With the increasing amount of daylight, the chickens are providing more regular numbers of their fine, brown eggs. And then, our turkey decided it was time, and she too started into egg production.

One might think that the turkey eggs would be four to five times the size of the chicken eggs, that being the ratio of weights of the birds. One would be wrong, though. They are perhaps about 20% larger than the chicken eggs. With the prettiest pattern of spots- heck, it is a shame, now, that there isn’t a picture to share with y’all. The turkey eggs ended up being cracked and fried yesterday morning.

And Lurkey Turkey didn’t seem to be too particular about where she laid her eggs, at least so far. We had to scramble to provide her with a nest box, as the goal is to provide a safe place for Lurkey to retire to, to have a little privacy, and to create that *down home* quiet, dark (and safe) spot where she will enjoy sitting on her nest full of eggs. Undisturbed. With her being in the same pen as Tom (now that’s sure a creative turkey name, eh?) who we estimate to be in the high thirty pound weight range, Tom being in strutting and displaying mode, having three walls and a roof over her head can be pretty important.

We are in the process of training Lurkey Turkey to deposit her eggs in the new contraption. Will she take to the new idea? Will she see her daily egg deposit being moved into that nice prefabricated nest and develop the urge to lay her eggs in there? Will she WANT to get in there and adjust things so that they are just right? And will that motherly instinct to actually SET take place? These are some of the questions that we have as we move into this new part of our learning experience. Stay tuned, there are bound to be some exciting times ahead.